The present invention is directed generally to peanut meters and more particularly to an improved peanut seed meter for continuously removing a selected quantity of seed peanuts at a selected rate from a bulk quantity thereof for planting.
The planting of peanuts presents problems that are unique, because of the relative fragility of the peanut seed, and because of the relatively large size thereof. One problem associated therewith has been the skipping of seeds within a row due to the interruption of the flow of peanut seeds, such as may be caused by jamming or interruptions of flow within the peanut seed meter. Some prior art devices have sought to alleviate such skips in the row, but have been susceptible to splitting, breaking or skinning of the peanut seed kernels.
Other peanut seed meters have functioned relatively well in avoiding skips in the row and in avoiding damaged kernels, but have been capable of planting peanuts only at a relatively slow flow rate which has added to the time of labor required and has resulted in increased labor expense associated with in the peanut planting operation.
Yet other peanut meters have functioned well in some respects, but have functioned only for small peanut kernels, or for large peanut kernels, and have lacked adjustability features which would render them capable of functioning efficiently for different sizes of peanuts.
Yet other peanut meters have been of such structural design as to require molded plastic parts for economy of manufacture in order to render them competitive with other peanut meters.
In view of the shortcomings and deficiencies of the prior art, it has been an object of the improved peanut seed meter of the present invention to deliver a constant and uninterrupted flow of seeds for fewer skips in the row, and to simultaneously therewith handle seeds easily and gently to reduce split, broken and/or skinned kernels. A further object of the present invention has been to provide a preferably half crescent-shaped taper gate to channel off excess peanut seeds and to direct them back into the seed flow without interruptions and/or hesitations that may cause skips in the row. A yet additional object is to provide such a taper gate which is adjustable in order to vary the poundage of peanuts planted per acre in conjunction with other adjustable features, such as sprocket sizes, to render the improved peanut seed meter of the present invention of optimal adjustability. A yet further object of the improved peanut seed meter of the present invention is to provide a structure which can be economically produced of cast iron without the necessity of resorting to molded plastic parts because of the structural design thereof.